Story By  Luircin

Howliana Characters and icon belong to  Asuraludu

Chapter 6
The Sultan was obviously fascinated with her. Stormy shifted a little self-consciously as he looked her up and down. Even if his gaze held no lewdness that she could sense, she could tell how interested he was.
“Come closer, girl,” he said, and then at a whisper from a courtier, added, “Alicia Softsong.”
Stormy judged it unwise to tell him to call her by her nickname at this time. She came forward hesitantly, one step at a time, feeling her legs tremble a little. What was she supposed to do? She cast a frantic glance over her shoulder. Was she supposed to throw herself at his feet, or just stand there, or-
“You need not be fearful,” the Sultan said. “Merely come closer. Altarias are rare in Howliana, and I want to see you closer.”
She shuffled forward a little more, and then a little more, and managed to make it up to the foot of his throne. She hesitated a moment, but no one told her to bow, grovel, or worse, so she just stood there for a long, uncomfortable moment.
“Bring the other one forward,” he said.
Ana was far more energetic. Stormy had a feeling that if she’d been ordered to do something ‘worse,’ she’d have jumped on the chance. He examined her in the same way, and then a small smile crossed his face.
Then his gaze turned to Stormy’s parents. “Welcome back to my home,” he said. “I see that you are still insistent upon building a resort in my country.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” her mother said, perhaps in a voice as close to a simper as Stormy had ever heard her use. “And as a gift, and also so that you may learn about us, my daughter and her friend have chosen to volunteer to be members of your harem.”
“Why did you not volunteer yourself?” the Sultan asked pointedly.
“Your Majesty, many thousands of Pokémon depend on me!” Desmona said. “But my daughter and her friend have no such commitments, and they also may find your generosity far more helpful than I would.”
“I see,” he replied, sounding unconvinced, and Stormy resisted the urge to grin at the thought of her mother getting her legs shattered.
He turned back to Stormy and Ana. “Do the two of you wish to be part of our harem?” he asked.
“Oh yes!” Ana replied instantly. “Ever since I first saw the pictures of your lovely nation!”
Stormy winced internally, but she followed up Ana’s gleeful outburst with her own soft nod. “Yes,” she said quietly. “Yes, I do.”
“You are willing to consent to the deep Aura reading that my wife will give you, in order to determine the truth of your words and the suitability for this venture?”
“Erm…” Stormy hesitated for a second. Ana had already given enthusiastic agreement, but she felt uncomfortable with someone poking around in her soul.
On the other hand, she might learn that Desmona was blackmailing her.
On the other other hand, she might learn that Desmona was blackmailing her, and then Ana would lose her scholarship with the Softsongs and the scholarship that she’d get here.
A glance at her mother decided it for her. Ana would lose her scholarships either way if she refused.
“Yes,” she said softly. “Yes, I’m ready.”
She stepped forward hesitantly, and closed her eyes, waiting for the invasive probing into her.
And it was invasive. But at least it wasn’t painful. She could feel the Sultana’s presence examining her, and she shivered hard at the sensation. She tried to hold things back—Jude in particular—but there was no chance to do so. She wasn’t even sure whether her efforts made any difference at all.
She found herself blushing, unable to keep her thoughts from wandering to all those private times she’d spent with Jude. And then she felt her heart drop into her stomach as she realized that the Sultana was probably reading all the horrible things that she’d thought about her and her husband.
Yet, her legs remained unbroken, and a long moment later, the invasive sensation lifted from her, and Ana visibly relaxed.
“That was WEIRD!” the Vigroth mumbled to Stormy.
“Sshh!” Stormy hissed, looking up to the thrones where the two were sitting.
Perhaps it was an aftereffect of the Aura reading, or perhaps she just intended for Stormy to hear, but whatever the case, Stormy was able to hear the Sultana speaking softly to her husband, and she didn’t even need the translation box by her ear.
Well, for a few words of it at least.
“…would be wise to be wary of the elder Softsongs,” she was saying. “They have no scruples. If they would coerce their own daughter into…”
But she couldn’t hear any more.
Eventually the Sultan looked over to Desmona and nodded to his wife. Then he spoke again, and when he did so, his Aura flickered into visibility around him, making him look quite powerful and impressive. But as fearsome as he looked, his voice remained calm.
“They will make a fine addition, though temporary, to the harem,” the translator box chirped. “I enjoy a good dancer,” he continued, giving an indecipherable glance towards Stormy. “And perhaps our daughters will enjoy their company.” He looked over to Desmona again. “But as for your request, I shall not allow your casino to be built in Jannah. It is the center of our agricultural life, and the crops there would be ruined by traders and tourists.”
“Your Majesty-”Desmona began, before a glare from him cut her off.
“However, I will speak to Calipha Amaryllis. For you, I believe that Semele would be a more favorable location, for both of us. Explorers and traders pass through that city on a regular basis on the way to the ruins. We will report our decision to you at a future date.”
Desmona looked as if she was about to protest, but instead she nodded. “As you say, Your Majesty.”
The Sultan nodded to her. “Good. For the night, we shall offer you our hospitality. Your daughter and her friend will be given quarters with the rest of the harem. They shall begin their training tomorrow.”
Most girls would probably shoot one last glance over their shoulders at their mothers before being marched off for a year. Stormy kept her gaze fixed firmly ahead. One more year. Just one more year and she’d be free.
She just hoped it would be worth it.